Improvement in machines for printing mail-tags



25% (le l i' ZJ'heeJf GEORGE H. FAYMAN.

- 4Machines for Printing Mail Tags.

No.12h6-02".

Patented Dec. 5, 187i.

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. jid/ganan f' GEORGE Hg FAYMAN.. Kila-chinees for Printing M'alTags.No. 121,602, Patmdnemnan.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. FAYMAN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO DEVERE BURR, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR ,PRINTING MAIL-TAGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,602, dated December5, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. FAYMAN, of the city of Washington, in theDistrict of Golumbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement, beinga Machine for Printing Wooden Mail or other Tags, of which the followingis a specilication:

My invention relates to a machine for printing wooden or other tags,especially adapted for the postal and express system of labelingmail-bags and packages for diiferent mail-routes. One of the chiefadvantages of this Amachine is that wooden tags having kerfed surfacescan be prin ted as readily as those having planed surfaces; also tagshaving irregular sides can be printed upon as well as those havingparallel sides.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l represents a plan or top view of amachine embracing my invention. Fig. 2 represents a verticalcross-section of the same. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section taken atright angles to that of Fig. 2, Fig. 4L represents an end View of thesame, showing the index-disk. Fig. 5 represents a sectional view,showing the spring thumb-catch of the index-wheel; and Fig. 6 representsa section, showing the socketed printing-roller and the removableoperating crank-handle.

Within a suitably-constructed box-ame, A, I arrange, upon a xed shaft,B, a revolving printing-wheel, consisting of a series ofprintingrollers, C, arranged within a circle concentric with the shaftB, so as to be revolved independent of each other between two carryingand supporting-heads D, which also have a motion upon said fixed shaftB, to present the required roller C to receive the tag from the table.In the example shown, I have represented seven printingrollers, but alarger or smaller number can be used if necessary. In printing, thedesired roller is brought vertically over the iixed shaft B, and held inposition directly beneath a rubber pressure-roller, E, which can beadjusted by screw-stems a, to suit any thickness of tags, and which isconstantly pressed down by springs b upon the screw-stems. These rollersC are provided with a series of annular surfaces, c, between which therubber printing-bands are secured. As shown in Fig. 8, theseprinting-bands are eight in number, and each is between a pair ofunyielding supporting-surfaces, o, which allow the raised letters of thebands to make a distinct impression, and protect them from being crushedby the tag, as the latter is supported directly upon these annularsurfaces during` the operation of printing. The letters of eachrubber-band indicate a particular post-ofiice or address; and thediameter of the printing-roller must be equal to the length of the tag,which, being about six inches, the rollers therefore must be about twoinches in diameter. The pressureroller E being of rubber, and the tagpassing between it and the unyielding annular surfaces c, it will beseen that a tag having only one regular surface, as shown in Fig. 9,will be presented to and receive the impression of the letters, whichonly project sufficiently above the annular surfaces for that purpose.It will also be observed that by passing the tag between a yieldingprinting and a yielding pressing-surface, in connection with unyieldingsupporting .surfaces c, I am enabled to print upon a kerfed woodsurface, thus greatly reducing the iirst costof wooden tags; and isthereby an important and essential advantage in rendering it unnecessaryto have a smoothed or planed surface, hitherto indispensable in writingthe post-ofce address or route thereon. A table, F, extends from thefront side of the machine on a level or thereabout with the top surfaceof the printing-roller, to support the tags in being fed to the same.This table is provided with parallel guide-strips d, arranged in pairscorresponding in number to the annular supporting-surfaces c on theroller C, for the purpose of guiding and keeping the tags at rightangles to the axis of the printingroller; and in order to accommodatedi'erent widths of tags these guide-strips d are supported upon springse at each end, to allow one of each pair to be pressed down iush withthe surface of the table when the tag is wider than the space betweeneach pair of strips d, so that one strip of each pair will always serveas a guide for the tag, the guide strips d being constantly pressed upby their springs e, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Theinking-rollers G H are supported upon the fixed central shaft B, and arecarried by two end frames, I, into which they are journaled, and whichis pivoted to said shaft. These inking-rollers consist of a gum-roller,G, which is always in contact with the roller in position to print, andaMcord-roller, H, which is supplied by a sponge, J, or other article.The gumroller G is held in contact with the printing-roller C by meansot a spring, j', attached to the roller-frame I, and au arm g on theiixed shait; and the cord-roller H is held in contact with the gumrollerby a spring, h, attached to its journals.

The inking-rollers thus arranged can be moved i in either direction withthe turning oi' the nest of printing-rollers, and its contact with theupi per one is thus rendered self-adjusting, as shown j in Fig. 2. Inthe system otl printing-rollers thus arranged each is providedwithpost-oiiice, depot, l or other addresses upon separate and distinct lrubber bands arranged within separate and disl tinct annular recessesupon each; and, in order i to bring into action any one of the series ofprinting-rollers having the particular route or address desired, Isecure an index-disk, K, to one of the heads D oi' the printing-rollersby means of a sleeve, i, which forms a bearing upon the fixed centralshaft to allow said index-wheel to be arranged outside ot' the mainframe, as shown in Fig. 3. The index-disk K is provided with a knob, j,indicating the position of each printingroller C, and numbered from l toT inthe instance shown, leaving' a space through which to supply theinking apparatus. In connection with this index-disk I employ aroute-index or address, L, seen more clearly in Fig. T, placed in anyconvenient position upon the frame; in the example shown it is arrangedjust above the pressing-roller E, and represents every post-ot'- tce oraddress upon the series of printing-rollers by numbers firstcorresponding with those of the index-disk K; and second, by divisionsin-` dicating the position of the post-oiiice, mail-route, or addressupon each printing-roller. This arrangement ot' the key L and index-diskati'ords great facility for bringing into position at once the rollerand its rubber printing-band containing the post-oftice rollte oraddress which it is desired to print upon the tag, the said divisionsot' the index-key L corresponding also to the division guide-strips d ofthe table F, which may be also correspondingly numbered with thedivisions of the key-index, so that the tag can be instant- 1y placed inposition between or against the proper guide-strip. The knobs j on theindexdisk afford means for operating the nest of printing-rollers, andthe disk K is provided with a suitable spring thumb-catch, M, for thepurpose otl arresting the movement of the disk K, and to lock thedesired printing-roller C in position beneath thepressure-roller E. Thisspring-catch M is L- shaped and tits into recesses on the inner faceofthe index-disk corresponding with the position of the knobs, and ispressed inward to unlock said disk, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5. Theprinting-rollers are ttted so as to allow them to be turned upon their`journals; and for this purpose one of the journals ot' each, on theside opposite the index-disk, is provided with a square socket, N, toreceive the square shank of a removable crank-handle, l, passed throughan opening, k, in the side of the frame A, coincident with the axis ofthe printing-roller when adjusted for work, to allow said roller to berevolved in contact with the inking gum-roller to ink the series ofrubber printing-bands, which are brought in contact with raised surfaceson said gum hiking-roller. By means ot this socket and hand-crank, also,the printing-cylinder is operated to feed the material bein g printed.The rear upper portion of the frame is provided with a hinged cover, Q,having a concave brush, which, when closed, is brought in Contact withany one of the printing-rollers C, for the purpose ot cleaning the same,by simply inserting the crank-handle P through an opening in the frameinto the socket N and revolving the roller.

l have described -the mechanism as adapted for printing separate anddistinct tags; but it is obvious that they may be printed uponcontinuous strips, and afterward separated. It is also obvious thatsheets ot' paper, leather or other material may be printed as well, inwhich each printing-band would produce its impression in continuoussuccession. This would be highly advantageous for railroad-tickets, 85e.The han ging position oi' the crank-handle P always indicates the properposition of the roller for printing, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination of aseries of independent printing-rollers, C, arranged in a circle andhaving a movement together to present any one et' their series for work,with a pressure-roller E anda feeding-table, F, essentially asdescribed.

2. In combination with a printing-wheel, the Operating rollers whereofhaving both an independent and a united movement, the seltadjustinghiking-rollers Gr H, arranged upon the iixcd shaft B within the circleof motion of' said printing-rollers, essentially as described.

3. The system of printing-rollers C, arranged upon a fixed centralshat't B, in combination with an index-disk K, arranged outside of saidrollers and having a movement therewith upon said shaft, as described.

4. The printing-rollers provided with separate and distinctprinting-bands, arranged between annular iniiexible supporting-surtacesc, for the purpose of printing tags separately, in continuous strips, orin sheets of separate printed rows, as described.

5. The spring guide-strips d ofthe feedingtable F, to accommodate tagsof different widths, as described.

6. The socketed journal N ot' the printing-roller C, in connection withthe opening k in the frame and the removable square-shanked crankhandleP, for the purpose described.

i'. The hinged brush Q, in combination with an independent-movingprinting-wheel havin ga series of independent printing-rollers C, as andfor the purpose described.

GEO. H. FAYMAN.

Witnesses:

A. E. H. J oHNsoN, ALEX. A. C. KLAUoKE.

